Tuesday, September 22, 2009

“Hope is the companion of power, and mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles.” - Samuel Smiles

Seeing a Loon, Bald Eagle or Pileated Woodpecker feels like a miraculous event for me. I'm always searching for them and always hoping to capture that moment on film. I've been pursuing the Pileated Woodpecker as of late and it's been a long summer. I always hear the Pileated Woodpecker near our log cabin. But as soon as I gather my camera equipment and head out to the deck to get a photo - the normally shy bird is gone in a big whoosh! But on this Sunday morning, I lucked out. I was able to get off two shots until she flew off across the lake. Until next time.....

Hi Shelley,This is a great shot of a species i would definitively like to see with my own eyes, but I'm so glad you presented it on your blo. Talking about loon, I guess you will like my present post, but I'm keeping one especially for you and Chris Petrak!!! I got common loon shots just before leaving in France for my holidays, and they are just the best ever I got... I'll post them soon!

Wow Shelley!! What a great photograph. I know what you mean about getting all excited when you think you got a good shot of this guy!! I have yet to see one really up close..to appreciate his hugeness!!Great job!!

Fantastic capture, Shelley! I have the same experience with the Hairy woodpeckers here. They come to the feeder on the deck frequently, but they are skittish, and as soon as they see me move in the kitchen, they are gone! I've never seen a pileated in the wild. What do they sound like?

We have three Pileated Woodpeckers here. We don't see them all summer but see them frequently during fall and winter. They are awesome birds but I have to admit to sweating over the damage they do to our trees. Man they can work a tree over. I am thinking they pick trees that are already diseased, I will have to google. That is a great picture Shelley, they are such a large comical kind of bird! They are definitely hard to capture for a photo.

I took photos the other night of pileateds in our campground but they were busy eating choke cherries and the leaves on the trees covered them up so my shots aren't very good! They remind me of an ancient bird.

Hi, Shelley: Excellent photo. If the background woodland shot on your home page is a satellite shot of your area, it looks like you are in a good location for these woodpeckers.

I walk in forests after the leaves have fallen, listen and look for Pileated WP nest or roost holes. This January, I used this strategy to find a male just starting to create a hole. Follow up observations eventually gave me:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPwsPOItWWQor google 2009 Pileated Woodpecker Nest

....gosh...I love the Pileated Woodpeckers too....they are just spectacular in sight and sound! You're so lucky she came up close. The photo is gorgeous. (Did you see Chris' site? He posted Loons for you!)